The Longmeadow High School girls volleyball team celebrates its sixth straight Western Mass. Division II title Saturday night, The Lancers were 3-2 winners over Minnechaug. (The Republican photo by Dave Molnar)

HOLYOKE - Instant classic.

There wasn't much that separated the Longmeadow and Minnechaug Regional high school girls volleyball teams this season.

In the end, it was three points - and one title - in favor of Longmeadow.

Longmeadow pulled out a thrilling five-set win over Minnechaug in the Western Mass. Division II championship match Saturday night.

The Lancers won their sixth straight sectional title with a 26-24, 19-25, 25-12, 16-25, 15-12 win at Holyoke Community College

"All of them have been so different, but this season we was the most unknown for us,'' Longmeadow coach George Mulry said. "Just to see how far we've come, it makes this so special.''

No. 2 Longmeadow (18-3) advances to the state semifinals against Fairhaven (20-1) Tuesday night at 7 at Hudson High School. Fairhaven defeated Pembroke, 3-0, in the south sectional final Saturday.

Top-seeded Minnechaug finished its season at 18-3.

"It was one of the best matches I have been a part of . . . ever,'' Minnechaug coach Mark Taylor said. "We split with them during the regular season, so we knew we can play with them and they know the same about us.''

Longmeadow was led by senior Jen Hurwitz, an all-state selection who finished with 25 kills and 27 digs.

"Everything we do, our offense and defense, runs through her,'' Mulry said of Hurwitz. "She an all-state player and she absolutely deserves that.''

Longmeadow won the first and third games, but each time Minnechaug answered to tie the match.

"This is so amazing,'' Tyler said. "It's a once in a lifetime feeling and it feels so good to be such a big part of it all.''

Minnechaug sought its first title since 2005, when it won its fourth crown in five years.

"It says something, that we got here . . . we had only six returning players and everyone worked so hard for this,'' Taylor said. "And Paulina Modestow was out of her head, hitting the ball tonight. And she's only a sophomore.''

Only once had either team played a match that went to five sets this season.

"It was scary, but we changed our lineup for the first time all night and it was a little risky,'' Mulry said. "We got off to a good start (7-2) and that really helped in the end.''

Minnechaug rallied to take a 10-9 lead before Longmeadow won the next four points to take control.

The two Eastern Division teams split their regular-season matchups, with Minnechaug's late win giving it the edge for the No. 1 seed. The league loss was Longmeadow's first in three years

"We knew it wasn't going to be easy,'' Hurwitz said. "We really worked on keeping our intensity up all night, so that really helped.''

Minnechaug, which dresses nine seniors, had lost only to two-time defending Division III state champion Frontier Regional and Longmeadow.

Longmeadow's losses came at the hands of Frontier (twice) and Minnechaug. The Lancers have five seniors.